Repeatedly broken branches

After wandering around all day without finding an opportunity to be alone with Bai Jiaoyu, Xie Huai seemed to know, refusing to leave their side for even a moment. Logically speaking, Xie Huai shouldn't have known, since he hadn't given anything away.

"Your Majesty, Princess Bai Jiaoyu said that the palace arranged for her is too simple, and the bed is too hard. She is not comfortable sleeping there. She requests to move to Young Master Xie's place because he is from the same hometown as her and can take better care of her," You said unhurriedly.

Xiao Mu paused for a few seconds, then calmly said, "Then let's grant her wish."

If we're talking about fellow townsmen, they are fellow townsmen and cousins, so why don't they come and live with us?

After leaving the room, Xiao Mu took out the curved knife she had been hiding in her sleeve all day and threw it on the couch, pointing at it and cursing, "Useless thing, why can't you find an opportunity?"

Who are you insulting?

Suddenly, Yu Yanjing walked in and, before Xiao Mu could react, wrapped his arms around her waist from behind.

Xiao Mu was stunned for a moment, and turned to look at him in surprise. Fortunately, she hadn't said anything wrong. She suddenly frowned and said angrily, "Yu Yanjing, you've been drinking."

Yu Yanjing's voice was low and hoarse. "I didn't drink much. Zhou Tingxi and Deng Yizhi insisted that I drink, so I gave them face and drank a few cups. I didn't expect that you could still smell it. My Empress has a very keen sense of smell."

That doesn't sound like a compliment.

His gaze fell on the curved sword on the couch, his chin nuzzled against Xiao Mu's shoulder, and he asked in a low voice, "Why did you take that out? Are you trying to assassinate me?"

Xiao Mu was speechless. She quickly let go of his hand and sat down on the soft couch. She picked up a soft pillow and hugged it to her chest, saying nonchalantly, "Who cares to kill you? I wouldn't be happy even if I killed you. Why would I make trouble for myself?"

Yu Yanjing also sat down. Although the smell of alcohol emanating from him made people dizzy, looking at his face, one couldn't get angry. The fair-skinned man had a slightly flushed face, and his bewitching peach blossom eyes were gazing at him in a dreamy way. His thin lips were about to open and close, and his long, slender hands were slightly supporting his chin. He was looking at you with complete focus. Who could resist that?

Xiao Mu screamed inwardly, if she weren't pregnant, she would definitely pounce on him! Hesitating for even a second would be disrespectful to Yu Yanjing.

But she didn't want to show her extreme affection for Yu Yanjing; it would be embarrassing and shameful.

Yu Yanjing's eyes grew increasingly unfocused, but he didn't say a word, just staring straight at her. Xiao Mu thought that this was a new way for Yu Yanjing to seduce people!

Why won't you speak?

Yu Yanjing said softly, "I'm a little tired."

Xiao Mu looked at him in confusion, "How can you be tired? What have you been doing all day?"

"I'm very frustrated. It's all about the court. Yin Fu'an learned that Zhou Tingxi and his group had defected to Chaoyang and issued a challenge to Chaoyang. Moreover, their army has been harassing the people on the border. I'm thinking about what to do. If war breaks out, only the people will be affected. The border will definitely be unsafe, and there will be many refugees. Once there are refugees, there will be a plague. At that time, it will really be out of control."

Xiao Mu listened attentively to Yu Yanjing's words. She knew that if it weren't for her connections, he wouldn't have taken in Zhou Tingxi and the others. Deng Yizhi alone wouldn't be enough to make Yin Fu'an send troops, but Zhou Tingxi was a highly sought-after figure everywhere, which was why he valued him so much.

However, there is no doubt that Zhou Tingxi was indeed a rare military talent.

"Don't you have any plans yet?"

"Yes."

"But we can't just sit idly by and do nothing about what Yin Fu'an has done. I know you can't stand seeing the people being bullied, right?"

Yu Yanjing raised his eyes, his gaze sparkling, and smiled slightly at Xiao Mu. It was clearly a forced smile, obvious to anyone with eyes. He said, "Why can you always guess what I'm thinking?"

Xiao Mu was both amused and exasperated. "Otherwise, what do you think a married couple is?"

Yu Yanjing sighed softly, "I never thought about going to war."

What he most hoped for was that the people would live in peace and prosperity, and that there would be no poor people. He couldn't achieve that. Even though the people in front of him were all living in wealth, there were still people suffering in places he couldn't see. Some people couldn't afford to eat because they didn't have money. He couldn't make sure that everyone could live a carefree and free life every day.

Even if he said that, no one would believe him, because in everyone's eyes, he was a tyrant, a cruel and tyrannical tyrant.

Is there no way to handle this matter leniently?

Yu Yanjing shook his head with a wry smile, "They've already bullied us to the point of exhaustion, and if we back down now, won't we be looked down upon?"

"Isn't a real man supposed to be able to bend and stretch?" Xiao Mu looked at him in confusion. If things could be handled more leniently, the person who was bullied could be comforted, and if they could discuss with Yin Fu'an and both sides could take a step back, what was wrong with that?

Yu Yanjing looked at her and patiently explained, "Xiaozhi, you may not understand politics. Some things can't be resolved by simply hiding and retreating. When necessary, war is indeed the best solution, but I'm not saying this to cause you unnecessary trouble, you know?"

Xiao Mu nodded as if she understood, but not quite. She really didn't understand these kinds of strategies and tactics, so she decided not to try to show off her limited knowledge in front of others, lest she become a laughing stock.

Looking at her like this, Yu Yanjing couldn't help but chuckle and asked, "How was your day? Did you encounter any interesting or unusual things while strolling around the capital with your sister?"

It's better not to mention it, because it makes me angry. If it weren't for Xie Huai, that troublemaker, Bai Jiaoyu would probably be in hell by now.

"Why do you look so unhappy?" Yu Yanjing looked at her anxiously. "Did something happen?"

Xiao Mu waved her hands repeatedly, "No, no, I'm just too tired. Pregnancy is really tiring, and my physical strength is not as good as before." She spoke from the bottom of her heart. Although she was only two months pregnant, many things were changing quietly.

Yu Yanjing held her hand, lowered his eyes and said in a low voice, "I know how hard it is to be pregnant. Don't worry, I will treat you even better in the future and I won't let you suffer any more."

Xiao Mu chuckled, "Wouldn't you treat me even better if I didn't get pregnant? So all I got was because of the child?"

Yu Yanjing panicked a little and immediately explained, "No, that's not what I meant. It's just that I want to make it up to you in the future. We only want this one child. If it's a girl, we'll pass the throne to her husband. What do you say?"

Xiao Mu smiled happily and said, "Okay."

Yu Yanjing yawned and said, "I want to rest for a while, just a little while. Later, I have some things to take care of, so I might not be able to sleep with you."

Xiao Mu looked at him with some heartache and asked, "Do you mean you squeezed out some time specifically to come see me?"

Yu Yanjing nodded in tacit agreement, but had already closed his eyes. His dark eyelashes trembled slightly, and he was overcome with weariness.

Xiao Mu stopped talking and stared at him blankly for a long time, resting her chin on her hand.

……

I don't know how much time has passed since I woke up. Sunlight is streaming in, and it's already daylight. I was supposed to be resting on the soft couch with Yu Yanjing, but now I'm in bed.

Xiao Mu realized that she had fallen asleep last night and didn't even know when Yu Yanjing left.

You Duan, holding the clothes she was to wear that day, said, "Your Majesty, Princess Bai Jiaoyu has sent someone to say that her palace maids have put on a song and dance performance and invites Your Majesty to watch it."

Xiao Mu rubbed her eyes, feeling that she hadn't slept well. She had slept very restlessly last night, and when she woke up this morning, she felt dizzy and nauseous. She vomited several times, but nothing came out. She wondered what tricks Bai Jiaoyu was up to this time.

Xiao Mu glanced at the clothes You Duan was wearing; it was a pale yellow, high-waisted palace dress paired with a pair of gold hairpins with cloud and phoenix patterns, a style she liked.

After a simple dressing, she ate some light porridge and side dishes that You had made herself. She even drank two small bowls of porridge. The side dishes were crisp, refreshing, and slightly sour, which was very appetizing. Xiao Mu felt that she would not be able to live without You. You was so thoughtful and considerate in every way. You even took care of her meals. Such a considerate maid is probably rare in the world.

"Hmph, the Empress is the Empress, so high and mighty. You made us wait for so long, and I'm still a guest." Bai Jiaoyu sat in the lower seats, looking at Xiao Mu who slowly walked up to the platform with dissatisfaction. She was frustrated and angry, wishing she could pounce on her and fight her.

Xiao Mu ignored her disrespectful words. Bai Jiaoyu had good social skills and had invited Ouyang Meixi and Shen Shanshan, all of whom had a complicated relationship with her. She didn't know if it was intentional or if she was genuinely unaware.

Shen Shanshan had always disliked Xiao Mu and regarded her as her rival in love. She believed that the position of Empress should have been hers. However, as a subject, she knew in her heart that she was inferior, so she did not dare to openly oppose Xiao Mu.

Although Ouyang Meixi appeared to be indifferent to worldly affairs and considerate of the overall situation, she knew from the beginning that Zhou Tingxi only had Xiao Mu in his heart and eyes, and she was still jealous in her heart.

"Didn't you say there would be singing and dancing? Quickly bring them up. I'm very tired. Let's have some singing and dancing to liven things up."

Xiao Mu leaned back on the Empress's golden throne, lazily glancing at Bai Jiaoyu, as if she didn't regard her as a special person, which only emphasized her status as the master.

Bai Jiaoyu had no choice but to order her maid to bring over a kabuki performer.

A group of beautiful young women dressed in bright blue dance dresses slowly entered the arena. Each of them was like a butterfly, with slender waists, and they danced gracefully to the rhythm of traditional Western Region drums.

Xiao Mu wasn't really interested at first, but when she heard the cheerful drumbeats, her heart started beating along with the rhythm. The melody seemed familiar; she had spent some time in the Western Regions when she was a child, so she had some memory of it.

The lead dancer flicked her upper sleeve, half-concealing her face and revealing only a pair of deep, emerald-green eyes, giving her a hazy, ethereal beauty.

This leader is interesting.

The drumbeats grew faster and faster, and the dancers' movements quickened accordingly. Xiao Mu's heart pounded, and she stared intently at the dancing girls below the stage, completely captivated.

Immediately afterwards, petals fluttered down, and after the dance, the girl slowly removed her veil, revealing a delicate face. Combined with her graceful dance moves, she gave the impression of a butterfly fairy.

"This is Yan Man, the most famous dancer in the Western Regions court. My maternal grandfather and uncle liked to watch her dance when they had nothing to do. How about it? Have you ever seen such a captivating dance?" Bai Jiaoyu said proudly.

Indeed, she had never seen such a beautiful girl dance before; even the stunning Tingyuan girl was no match for her.

Perhaps it was the hazy beauty of the Western Regions that added to her distinctiveness.

Yan Man slowly left the stage, changed into a set of traditional Western Region clothing, and stood behind Bai Jiaoyu. It turned out that Yan Man was not only the most famous dancer in the Western Region, but also Bai Jiaoyu's childhood friend and the daughter of Yan Qing, an important official in the Western Region.

So, what was Bai Jiaoyu's purpose in bringing her here?

"So you summoned me here just to see Yan Man's dance? I thought there was something else going on."

Bai Jiaoyu's lips curled up slightly. "Of course! Could it be that Yan Man's dancing is bad? The Empress doesn't like her? No way, your standards are even higher than your maternal grandfather's?"

"Your Majesty, I think Yan Man dances very well. The Emperor will definitely like her. Why don't we offer Yan Man to the Emperor for his enjoyment?" Shen Shanshan looked at Xiao Mu with a mocking smile, her eyebrows slightly raised.

Xiao Mu placed her hand on the chair, her fingers rhythmically tapping the wooden armrest. She nodded slightly, her gaze sharp as she looked at Shen Shanshan, and said in a deep voice, "Do you consider Yan Man an object? Something for people to admire? And what right do you have to decide her fate with just a word?"

Yan Man's heart was deeply touched. In the past twenty years, hadn't she been nothing more than an object for others to admire?

It's rare for anyone to treat her as a person, rather than an object that brings them pleasure.

Bai Jiaoyu brought her here this time to present her to Emperor Chaoyang in order to suppress the Empress's aura and sharpness. Even her father agreed with Bai Jiaoyu's approach, leaving her with no choice but to be led by the nose.

She believed that her childhood friend would not harm her, so she was willing to sacrifice herself for her father's power in the court.

But she didn't want to harm anyone; she only needed to suppress the empress's arrogance. She wouldn't harm anyone, much less hurt anyone.

Shen Shanshan looked at Yan Man speechlessly, feeling a little guilty.

Yan Man smiled and said, "Your Majesty, if the Emperor likes it, Yan Man is willing to become an object to please the Emperor."

Xiao Mu was stunned. She never expected that Yan Manmei was so shameless. She shouldn't have spoken up for her; Shen Shanshan should have humiliated her.

But she was still a woman after all; how could she say such harsh words to another woman?

"His Majesty has never been fond of singing and dancing, so it seems Miss Yanman will be disappointed."

Yan Man still smiled and said calmly, "Yan Man can not only dance, but also sword dance, archery, play the zither, paint, compose poetry, and ride horses. I don't know what Your Majesty likes, but Yan Man knows a lot. If I don't know something, Yan Man will learn it."

Ouyang Meixi turned to look at Yan Man. She smiled charmingly, and it was estimated that few men could resist her. She knew so many tricks, was beautiful, and had a graceful figure.

This time, the Empress is in danger.

Even though Shen Shanshan and Yu Yanjing had known each other for so long, she thought that Yu Yanjing would definitely like Yanman. She was just waiting to see Xiao Mu make a fool of herself. She didn't believe that an emperor only had one empress. Which emperor didn't have three thousand concubines in his harem? Even if he didn't have three thousand, he had several hundred.

Xiao Mu was neither afraid nor worried. She trusted Yu Yanjing. They had been through life and death together and understood each other's importance. If Yan Man could win Yu Yanjing's heart, wouldn't she be at risk of being deposed at any time?

"Why is it so lively over there?" Shen Ruoxuan stood beside Yu Yanjing, with Zhou Tingxi, Wei Hao, and Deng Yizhi behind her. The sound of drums came from not far away, attracting everyone to look in the direction of the sound.

A young palace maid following behind said, "Reporting to Lord Shen, it's Princess Bai from the Western Regions. She's at Yuhua Palace, and the dancers she brought are performing. I heard those dancers are incredibly beautiful..."

Yu Yanjing looked up, seemingly uninterested, and muttered, "Boring, let's go."

When Yu Yanjing said this, the others naturally followed suit.

"Alright, alright, let's go inside the palace to discuss matters first, so as not to disturb you... Hey, Your Majesty, look, isn't that the Empress?" Shen Ruoxuan's gaze drifted toward the entrance of Yuhua Palace. Xiao Mu, holding up her skirt, stormed out, with You following behind her at a brisk pace, looking rather comical.

Wei Hao couldn't help but chuckle as he looked at You.

Zhou Tingxi looked over as well, and it seemed that she was really angry. She was pregnant and yet she was walking so fast, almost like she was flying.

Yu Yanjing looked around at the people and said, "You all go first, I'll see what's going on... cough cough cough."

"Okay." Shen Ruoxuan suppressed a laugh, her lips trembling uncontrollably.

Zhou Tingxi sighed inwardly. How could he possibly perform? The Empress was right there, so how could he possibly have any interest in her? He was already overwhelmed by the messy affairs at home.

This refers to Ouyang Meixi.